Swiped Archives - Stephen Marsh Copywriter

Swiped: Jehovah’s Salesmanship

Posted 25 Feb 2014 by Stephen Marsh in Emotion, Sales, Swiped

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This is a 4 minute read.

I’m not saying Jehovah’s Witnesses have got it wrong.

That’s the first thing I wanted to say. This isn’t about religion, or about what you should believe in. It’s about copywriting (which I suppose is what you’re expecting).

But being a copywriter is being able to sell, at least in part. It’s about telling people about something you have to offer, explaining how it will help them, and pushing them to take action on it. To buy it. Or buy into it.

Recently, I had regular visits from a Jehovah’s Witness.

I kept inviting him back because, truth told, I wanted to take the opportunity to ask him about lots of things I never quite understood. Why can only a certain number of people get into heaven? If that’s the case, why are you telling everyone to join up?

He cleared things up. He answered my questions. But, above all else, he was trying to sell me on an idea.

And I think we could all learn a thing or two from his techniques.

Swiped: .rising’s Incredible Generosity

Posted 08 Oct 2013 by Stephen Marsh in Audience, Digital, Email Copywriting, Swiped

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This is a 3 minute read.

You don’t get something for nothing.

Take this blog. I spend my time writing and promoting posts, sharing thoughts and advice on life as a freelance copywriter. And I don’t get paid for it.

But I still expect a return. It’s nice to see my subscribers list growing. It’s lovely to get some feedback. It’s great that people share my website through social media, and Google (reluctantly) starts caring about what I do.

If I didn’t believe that blogging delivered some kind of return, I wouldn’t do it. I have better uses for my time.

So you get to read the blog for free.

But not for nothing.

And it turns out that giving something away is a particularly potent form of persuasion.

Swiped: Econsultancy’s Presumption

Posted 11 Sep 2013 by Stephen Marsh in Digital, Emotion, Sales, Swiped

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This is a 4 minute read.

Copywriting is about getting people to do things.

You might want someone to buy. Or think about a specific idea. Or hire you as a freelance copywriter (hello).

But there’s a problem – people don’t want to do what you say.

In this Swiped post, we’ll look at an example of overcoming that natural resistance to persuasion – by putting the initial decision firmly in the past.

Swiped: Skoda’s Bland Background

Posted 14 Aug 2013 by Stephen Marsh in Branding, Long Copy, Swiped

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This is a 4 minute read.

Freelance copywriters love long copy.

But we would, wouldn’t we?

In terms of work, we like projects we can sink our teeth into. Excuses to get creative, to go deeper, and to be clever. Long copy lets a copywriter show off. We also like to read them, because we’re the type of people that read. We’re interested in advertising, and how a writer can hold attention beyond a strapline.

But what about customers and prospects, the people that really matter? Have time-short consumers really got time to read all that copy?

In this Swiped post, I’ve chosen a long copy example that’s uniquely aware of the debate. It doesn’t expect anything from its audience.

But it persuades prospects effectively, whether they go long or short.

Swiped: Apple’s Full Stops

Posted 07 Aug 2013 by Stephen Marsh in Grammar, Style, Swiped

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This is a 4 minute read.

Okay. I’ll admit it. I’m a hack.

When I started Swiped, this series of posts that pulls together great copywriting examples, I set myself one rule.

Don’t do Apple.

Don’t get me wrong. I love Apple, and I love their copy. I even liked that recent long copy ad more than most. But using Apple in a copywriting blog post is just so obvious. Everyone has done it. Now, just a few posts in, I’m breaking my rule and joining them. But bear with me.

It’s a look at Apple’s copy, and website copywriting – but I’m going a bit deeper into a single, specific technique. It’s one that I’ve stolen already. One you’ve seen fifteen times already on this page.

Make that sixteen.

Swiped: Race For Life’s Positivity

Posted 31 Jul 2013 by Stephen Marsh in Creativity, Emotion, Swiped

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This is a 4 minute read.

Copywriters and creatives debate negativity and positivity all the time.

I’ve heard respected freelance copywriters say you should never use negative words. Never say bad. Never say never.

But most people make exceptions when it comes to certain industries. If you’re writing about health, security, or safety, emphasising the negative emotions can really help to solidify fears and drive people to take action.

The problem is it feels a bit dirty.

Just this week, I was interviewed by Glenn Fisher at All Good Copy. We talked about everything from my unusual approach to planning to my favourite words to use in copy. Then, we got onto the subject of whether negative or positive emotions work best.

So, for this Swiped post, I wanted to use one of my favourite examples that shows how people respond to a positive attitude – even if you’re talking about something that’s quite frankly terrifying.

Swiped: Copyblogger’s Inverted Emphasis

Posted 26 Jul 2013 by Stephen Marsh in Digital, Style, Swiped, Writing

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This is a 3 minute read.

This is Swiped. It’s a series of posts that’s like a swipe file, but with some insight into why I like particular things.

For the first post, we’ll be looking at one of the content marketing greats – Copyblogger. Whether you agree with what they say and the processes they recommend, it’s undeniable that their website features some great copy that’s tailored to the right audience.

But Swiped doesn’t look at generalisations. This isn’t an expansive post, but a precise one that focuses on one aspect of copywriting.

This time, it’s something that I’ll call inverted emphasis.

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